Fire-bucket



(No Model.)

J. INGRAM.

PIRE BUCKET.

Patented Deo. 3l,` 1889.

IWI/em @27" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES INGRAM, OF IIA'WRENQE, MASSACHUSETTS.

FIRE-BUCKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 418,289, dated December 31, 1889,

Application filed May l, 1889. Serial No. 309,198. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern: Y

Beit known that I, JAMES INGRAM, of Lawrence, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Fire- Buckets, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the pioduction of a novel lire-bucket, especially adapted to be used in mills and large buildings.

It is a common custom, as a protectional measure against lire, to provide each room of a large mill, or it may be the hallway of a building, with a number of buckets or pails containing water. It frequently happens that owing to the evaporation of the water scarcely any of the saine remains in the pail, and the quantity of water in the pail is ascertained by the inspector, whose duty it is to see that the said pails or buckets are kept full by dipping his hand into the pail.

It is the object of my invention to provide the bucket with an indicator, preferably a float, projecting up through a guide secured to the top of the bucket, the said float being preferably provided with the word full or other mark or word indicative of that condition of the bucket.

Hy invention therefore consists in the combination, with a portable fire-bucket containing water or other iluid, of an indicator consisting1 of a float having annular lips at its top and bottom, respectively, and normally supported by the said fluid, and an annular collar surrounding said float and llrmly secured to the bucket by arms, said collar serv ing as a guide and retaining device for the float when the bucket is tipped, substantially as described.

Figure lis a side elevation, partially broken out, of a fire bucket or pail embodying my invention; and Fig. 2, a top or plan view of the pail shown in Fig. l.

The pail or bucket a, provided with a handle a', maybe of any usual or well-known construction, either of wood or metal or other material, such as now commonly employed.

The bucket Ct, in accordance with my invention, is provided with an indicating device, (herein shown asa float 11,) made asa hollow vessel, which rests in the water or other liquid in the bucket, said floating vessel passing up throughan annular collar b2, constituting a guide and a retaining device there;- for, the said annular collar being secured to arms b3, (herein shown as four in number,) which radiate to the walls or rim of the bucket, to which they are. secured in any desired manner. The float b, as herein shown, is provided at its top and bot-tom with annular projecting lips c c', the lip c preventing the said lloat from being forced up through the collar by overflowing the pail with water, and also from being thrown out of the bucket when the water is dashed out thereof, and the lip c prevents the Hoat from passing down through the said collar if the water should be entirely removed from the bucket, as by evaporation or leakage.

' The float b is preferably provided with the word full at its upper end, so that when the bucket contains the desired or required amount of-water the said word may be plainly seen by the inspector; but if the pail does not contain the requiredamount of water the word will be hidden by the annular collar b2.

The lloat in practice will be made of such size `as not to obstruct the water when it is thrown or discharged from the bucket, and the said lloat is maintained within the bucket by the annular collar b2 and the arms b3.

I prefer to employ a float made substantially as shown in the drawings 5 butI do not desire to limit myself to the use of such a float, as it may be made solid or of any desirable shape.

I claim- The combination, with a portable firebucket containing water or other fluid, of an indicator consisting of a float b, having annular lips c c at its top and bottom, respectively, and normally supported by the said fluid, and an annular collar b2, surrounding said float and firmly secured to the bucket by arms b3, said collar serving as a guide and retaining device for the float when the bucket is tipped, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES INGRAM.

Witnesses:

BERNIGE J. NoYEs, FREDERICK L. EMERY.

IOO 

